1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cylindrical illumination device and a game machine that performs control of light emission using the device.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, a cylindrical illumination device, as described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-272934, for example, is a device formed of a light source, a lenticular lens having a cylindrical shape with the light source as center, and a light transmission controller, the device being configured so that a display image can be seen from any direction through 360 degrees, and furthermore, different images can be seen according to viewing angle.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-55635 mentioned below, describes a configuration for a flashing light in which a transparent prismatic reflective sheet and light emitting elements such as LEDs are arrayed on a reflector attached to an upper portion of a support mounting, inside a plastic cylindrical member, and in order to improve visibility of signs for road works, a large display surface can be provided on which the flashing light extends over the full width of the display surface of the signs.
In addition, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-202739 mentioned below, an illumination device is described in which a LED light source is disposed at an open end of a transparent or semitransparent cylindrical light transmitting member, light generated in an axial direction of the light transmitting member is diffusely reflected by a transparent or semitransparent member with protrusions, in which the protrusions are formed in a band on an inner peripheral face of the light transmitting member, and an illuminating lamp is used to illuminate a light-extracting face of the transmitting member, a reflecting member being disposed on the rear side of the illuminating lamp, and in the illumination device the light diffusely reflected by the member with the protrusions is further intensified by the reflecting member.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-10263 mentioned below, describes an inner cylinder in which an embossed hologram sheet is formed as a circular or a polygonal cylinder, and an outer cylinder in which a lenticular lens is formed as a circular or a polygonal cylinder, the inner cylinder being housed in the outer cylinder, with a display on which light from one end or both ends of the outer cylinder is incident, and by this type of configuration, the device realizes an improvement in color effects (glittering sensation).
On the other hand, in conventional game machines that perform control of light emission, for example, as described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H11-244529, mentioned below, a game apparatus has a display-device for displaying game contents as an image, and a display board for displaying game related information concerning a game; the game apparatus includes a CCD camera for filming a player, and a fluorescent light disposed on the rear side of the display board, as viewed by the player; the display board is formed of a transparent member, game related information is written on its front face, and in addition, with the fluorescent light illuminating both the display board and the player, the illuminated player is filmed by the CCD camera to give a clear image. Accordingly, since a dedicated illumination device for illuminating the player need not be provided, the outer form of the game apparatus is not large in size and the cost is not high.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-198353 mentioned below, describes a music game machine in which a pair of turntables and a fader switch are arranged on an upper face of an operations box; with this music game machine, after selecting a song to be performed, a player watches a guidance image displayed on a display area and performs a slide operation of the fader switch, as well as manually operating a turntable to perform a scratch operation. In addition, spotlights are installed on the left and right side faces of the display area, and these spotlights are mounted so that the radiation direction of light of each of the spotlights can be adjusted, with angles adjusted so as to radiate light onto the turntables. Moreover, the spotlights do not continuously radiate light; when it is required to perform a scratch operation on an imitation record placed on the turntable, light is radiated intermittently onto the imitation record that is to be operated.